Method of and apparatus for treating water

ABSTRACT

A housing or porous water-permeable material containing granular water-treatment particles is immersed in a quantity of water, and means are provided for effecting circulation of the water through the housing whereby certain chemicals are removed from the water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to means for and a method of removingor substantially reducing those components of tap water which contributeto an undesirable or off-taste and/or of removing undesirable ionstherefrom by continuously recirculating a quantity ofwater-to-be-treated through suitable granular filter material which isloosely confined within a water-pervious housing which is immersed inwater within a closed vessel.

2. Description of Prior Art

Heretofore various types of filters have been utilized in an effort toimprove the quality of drinking water. These devices have for the mostpart comprised cylinders containing various activated carbon particlesand/or deionizers or the like the intended function of which is toabsorb organic material in the water and/or exchange ions for protons.Such filters are provided in a water line--or in some instances they areselectively connected by a manually operable bypass valve to a householdfaucet whereby the water is caused to pass through said filters beforebeing discharged.

Such filters are inherently dangerous in that they provide a source ofwater contamination particularly in those instances in which thefiltering media is reused over and over, even for a short period oftime, or wherein a filter is used but infrequently, since the filtermedia provides a fertile breeding place for bacteria. The E.P.A. andcertain municipal water works, such as by way of example, the CincinnatiWater Works, have published papers and warnings pointing out the hazardsof using such filters, and the Federal Trade Commission has beenrequested by the Environmental Defense Fund to investigate theadvertising claims for such filters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to simple, yet highly effective, meansfor enabling a householder to effectively remove certain noxiouschemical substances such as chloroform, carbon tetrachloride,chlorinated phenols, algae-induced mal-taste; or to effectively removeundesirable ions of cadmium, lead, and sodium from drinking water. Itshould be understood that whereas sodium ions, per se, are not noxiousin the sense of the lead or cadmium ions, the presence of sodium ions indrinking water can cause a health problem to certain persons who are ona restricted sodium diet.

Unlike the prior art domestic water filters, the present device utilizesa metered quantity of one or more materials which have been selected toremove certain specific products from the water, and after this materialhas been used once, or at the most several times, it is discardedthereby preventing the growth of undesirable bacteria therein. The lifeof the material is also determined by its effectiveness, that is, thematerial would be discarded in those instances in which an undue amountof time is required in order to effectively remove the undesirableproducts from the water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a water-treatment container whichembodies the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view partly in section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2 wherein the ingredienthousing is disposed at an angle relative to the axis of the shaft towhich it is secured.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a typical home-type blender whichembodies the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view taken of the left side of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Broadly stated, the inventive concept utilizes a housing 10, such as byway of example, fabricated from water-pervious material from which, suchas by way of example, tea bags are fabricated, wherein each housingcontaining a measured amount of granular activated carbon is immersed ina container J of water-to-be-treated 14.

The housing may, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, be contained within asuitable open framework or chamber 16 which is secured to and carried bythe lower end of a shaft S, the upper end of which is adapted to berotated such as by means of a suitable motor M which, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, may be secured to and carried by the upper surface of acap or closure member C, the depending side walls W of which are adaptedto engage the upstanding complimentary surfaces of the neck N of thecontainer or jar J in which the water-to-be-treated is housed.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the housing 10 is mounted within a framework or chamber160 which is secured to and carried by the lower end of a shaft SS, theupper end of which is secured to and depends from the lower surface of alid or closure member Q which is adapted to be received on the openupper end of the receptacle R of a conventional blender indicatedgenerally by the letter B.

In FIGS. 1-4 the housing is caused to rotate within the water in such amanner that the water will be agitated and caused to thoroughly wet andrepeatedly pass through and wash over the contents of the housing.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the housing is maintained in a stationary condition andthe water contents of the blender are thoroughly agitated and caused tothoroughly wet and repeatedly pass through and around the material inthe housing by reason of a motor driven impeller I.

Uniformly satisfactory results have been obtained in those instances inwhich a housing 10 contains activated carbon particles from 10 to 60mesh in size. Two grams of such activated carbon particles in awater-pervious housing of cloth, tea bag paper, or the like, issufficient to effectively treat from 1 quart to 10 gallons of water overa period of from 2 to 25 minutes.

When a new or fresh housing containing a new or fresh charge ofactivated carbon particles is utilized, a quart of tap water can betreated in two minutes in those instances in which the housing isrotated at speeds of from 100 to 770 rpm. After a total of about 10gallons of water has been thus treated, the housing containing the usedactivated carbon particles should be discarded since the treatment timewill have increased substantially. It has been found that activatedcarbon particles are highly effective for removing chlorinatedhydrocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and other organiccompounds, free chlorine, and the bad taste imparted to water by algae.

When it is desired to remove the salts of sodium, iron, cadmium,magnesium, or lead and the fluoride radical of sodium, the materialwithin the housing comprises particles of deionizing resins such as byway of example, Rohm and Haas monobed resin which removes the anions andthe cations from the water.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 it will be noted that theframework of chamber 16 defines a pair of open side compartments A andC, each of which are dimensioned whereby to loosely receive a housing 10of water treatment material. If desired, a housing containing activatedcarbon particles may be inserted in side A whereas a housing ofdeionizing resins may be inserted in side C for thereby accomplishingboth deodorizing and deionizing of the water being treated. It iscontemplated that the bags containing activated carbon particles or bagscontaining the deionizing resins or bags containing a mixture ofactivated carbon particles and deionizing resins will be put up inpackages similar to the manner in which tea bags are packaged.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 the housing-receptive framework 16 may bemounted to shaft S for inclining the framework relative to the axis ofthe shaft whereby to provide simple, yet highly effective, means forincreasing and augmenting the continuous recirculation of water throughthe open framework, housing 10, and the contents of the housing.

To summarize, water-pervious housings 10 are provided with apredetermined quantity of granular particles, such as by way of example,two grams thereof wherein the inherent characteristics of the granularmaterial is characterized by its ability to remove from the water beingtreated those components which are not only injurious when injested bythe human body, but which impart a disagreeable or off-taste to thewater, such as by way of example, chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbontetrachloride, chloroform, other organic compounds, free chlorine,and/or algae. Uniformly satisfactory results have been obtained in thoseinstances in which the granular particles within the water-pervioushousings constitute activated carbon.

The subject process is likewise equally effective in removing certainundesirable inorganic salts from tap water, such as by way of example,the sodium salts of sulphates, chlorides, fluorides, carbonates, andbicarbonates; the salts of sodium, iron, calcium, and magnesiumincluding trace amounts of cadmium and lead. The aforesaid objectionablecomponents may be effectively removed from the water by providingdeionizing resins, such as by way of example, monobed resins which arecharacterized by their ability to remove the anions and cations fromwater while simultaneously reducing the hardness of the water thustreated.

The subject invention completely eliminates the use of expensive andineffective faucet attachments of the type which contain charges offiltering material and/or filters of the type which are permanentlyincorporated into a water line. The subject invention completelyeliminates the inherent danger of uncontrolled bacteria growth whichoccurs in the filtering media of the aforesaid filters, it being notedthat uncontrolled bacteria growth will occur in such fixed filters eventhough the water being treated contains chlorine since from 0.4 to 1.2parts per million of chlorine are required at the tap to control thebacteria growth which occurs in the fixed filters.

The subject invention enables a householder to safely, easily andinexpensively eliminate objectionable odors from tap water and/oreliminate the objectional ions therefrom by causing a given quantity oftap water to be continuously recirculated through small inexpensivehousings or bags containing granular particles which have been selectedfor their ability to absorb those components which impart an off-tasteto water and/or which will remove the anions and cations from the water.After a housing has been reused, say for treating up to 10 gallons oftap water, it may be discarded and another housing containing a new orfresh supply of granular particles associated with the housing-receptiveframework 16.

In those instances in which the granular particles comprise deionizingresins, the contents of said housing may be "recharged" by a householderby immersing said housing in a salt solution for a period of hours.However, since the cost of the ingredients of each housing is so low itwould appear to be more convenient for a householder to merely discard ahousing after the contents thereof have been substantially spent.

The subject invention is likewise directed to the provision of a singlewater-pervious housing wherein the granular contents thereof include amixture of activated carbon and deionizing resins whereby the contentsof each housing will be capable of removing odors and/or the off-tastefrom the tap water while simultaneously removing the objectionableanions and cations from the water while it is also being softened.

Various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for treating a given quantity of tapwater for improving the taste thereof and removing undesirable ionstherefrom which comprises:(a) an open top vessel for receiving aquantity of water-to-be treated; (b) at least one water-pervious housingwhich contains a quantity of granular material characterized by itsability to absorb those components of water which contribute to itsoff-taste or which remove the anions and cations from the water; (c) ashaft extending axially into said vessel from the open top thereof; (d)an open framework secured to and carried by said shaft for removablyreceiving the housing; (e) means for producing relative rotary movementbetween water in the vessel contacting the housing and thewater-pervious housing so as to provide a continuous recirculation ofthe water relative to the granular material; (f) a lid for closing theopen top of the vessel, said shaft rotatably secured to and dependingfrom said lid; (g) a motor secured to and carried by said lid in drivingrelationship with said shaft; and (h) means securing said housing tosaid shaft wherein rotation of said housing causes the water within saidvessel to be continuously recirculated through said framework, thehousing, and its contents.
 2. An apparatus as called for in claim 1,wherein the continuous recirculation of the water within the vesselthrough said framework, housing and the material confined therein, isaccomplished by mounting the shaft interiorly of the vessel againstrotation relative thereto, and of imparting a circulatory motion to thewater within the vessel by means of a rotatable impeller locatedadjacent the bottom of said vessel.
 3. An apparatus as called for inclaim 1, wherein the vessel is dimensioned to contain at least one quartof water-to-be-treated and wherein each housing contains about two gramsof granular particles.
 4. An apparatus as called for in claim 1, whereinthe open framework defines a pair of individual housing-receptivecompartments.
 5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein saidgranular material is from 10 to 60 mesh in size.
 6. A method ofimproving the taste of tap water which comprises:(a) supplying apredetermined quantity of water into a container; (b) submerging apredetermined quantity of granular material characterized by its abilityto substantially absorb those components of water which contribute toits undesirable taste and which is loosely confined within a waterpervious housing into the predetermined quantity of water; (c)effectuating relative rotary movement between the water and the granularmaterial while the water is in contact with the granular material so asto provide continuous recirculation of the water relative to thegranular material by rotating the water-pervious housing containing thegranular material while fully immersed in the water for a period of timesufficient to effect substantial absorption of those ingredients of thewater which are responsible for its undesirable taste; and (d)thereafter removing the predetermined quantity of water from thecontainer.
 7. A method, as called for in claim 6, wherein thewater-pervious housing is suspended within a closed vessel.
 8. A method,as called for in claim 6, wherein the water-pervious housing contaningthe granular material is suspended interiorly of a vessel containing thewater and wherein said water is agitated for effecting continuousrecirculation thereof through said housing and the material containedtherein.
 9. A method, as called for in claim 8, wherein about two gramsof granular material is confined within the water-pervious housing,wherein said amount of granular material will treat up to 10 gallons ofwater.
 10. A method according to claim 6 wherein the granular materialis further characterized by its inherent ability to remove substantiallyall of the anions and cations from the water, wherein said granularmaterial comprises deionizing resins which are loosely confined withinsaid water-pervious housing.
 11. A method, as called for in claim 10,wherein the deionizing resins are also characterized by their inherentability to substantially reduce the hardness of the water.
 12. Anapparatus for treating a given quantity of tap water for improving thetaste thereof and removing undesirable ions therefrom whichcomprises:(a) an open top vessel for receiving a quantity ofwater-to-be-treated; (b) a motor driven impeller rotatably supported onthe bottom of the vessel and being operative to continuously circulatewater in the vessel; (c) a shaft suspended from the top of the vesseland extending axially into the vessel; (d) at least one water-pervioushousing which contains a quantity of granular material characterized byits ability to absorb those components of the water which contribute toits off-taste or which remove the anions and cations from the water; and(e) an open framework secured to and carried by said shaft for removablyreceiving the housing, said framework positioning the water-pervioushousing above the impeller such that water continuously recirculated bythe impeller will continuously pass through the water-pervious housingwhereby those ingredients of the water which are responsible for itsundesirable taste or anions and cations will be absorbed.
 13. A methodof improving the taste of tap water which comprises:(a) supplying apredetermined quantity of water into a container; (b) submerging apredetermined quantity of granular material characterized by its abilityto substantially absorb those components of water which contribute toits undesirable taste and which is loosely confined within a waterpervious housing into the predetermined quantity of water; (c)effectuating relative rotary movement between the water and the granularmaterial while the water is in contact with the granular material so asto provide continuous recirculation of the water relative to thegranular material by effectuating rotation of an impeller located at thebottom of the container to continuously recirculate water in thecontainer and suspending the water-pervious housing from the top of thecontainer in the flow path of the recirculating water for a period oftime sufficient to effect substantial absorption by the granularmaterial of those ingredients of the water which are responsible for itsundesirable taste.